PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The Lancet: Ovarian tissue and egg freezing should be made widely available to prevent

age-related infertility, say leading fertility experts

2014-10-03
(Press-News.org) Ovarian tissue and egg freezing to preserve fertility should no longer be reserved for cancer patients, and healthy women should also be offered these options to safeguard their future chances of conceiving a child, say world renowned fertility experts writing in a new Series on fertility preservation, published in The Lancet [Paper 3].

Over the past 10 years, researchers have restored the fertility of female cancer patients who would otherwise have been left infertile after treatment, having been offered oocyte cryopreservation. The technique enables women to freeze their eggs and use them at a later time to conceive a child. Several babies have been born to cancer patients using this technique, which is no longer classed as experimental [1].

However, the growing trend in developed countries to delay having children until later in life has resulted in egg freezing being increasingly used by healthy women as insurance against age-related infertility. "So far nearly 2000 babies have been born from eggs frozen, without an increase in the incidence of any birth defects"*, says author Professor Dominic Stoop, Director of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at UZ Brussels in Belgium.

Another fertility restoring approach for young women with cancer is the freezing and transplantation of ovarian tissue. In 2004, a Belgian woman became the first to give birth to a healthy baby, 7 years after banking her frozen ovarian tissue before starting chemotherapy. This technique has gone on to result in the birth of 37 additional healthy babies to cancer patients.

"The main advantage of ovarian tissue transplant over egg freezing is the large number of eggs that can be frozen in one procedure, without the need to delay cancer treatment because of multiple ovarian stimulation cycles needed to retrieve eggs"*, explains Professor Stoop.

"Replacement of the ovarian tissue requires surgery and might seem more onerous than egg retrieval, but it is a straightforward and uneventful procedure"*, adds co-author Dr Sherman Silber from St Luke's Hospital in St Louis, USA, who developed many of the infertility treatments in use today. "Hormonal function is restored in every case and women are able to attempt natural conception without the need for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or other treatment"*.

Using cryopreservation techniques in this way is controversial. Both the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the European Society for Reproductive Medicine have called for more evidence on safety, cost-effectiveness, and psychological factors that might arise. However, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology recommends that egg freezing should be available both for cancer patients and for the prevention of age-related infertility.

According to the authors, the success of ovarian tissue technology for cancer patients makes it viable that the procedure would work in other women who wish to postpone having children for other reasons, whilst reducing the need for third party involvement (eg, egg donors) in artificial reproductive techniques. Moreover, adds co-author Dr Ana Cobo, Head of the Cryobiology Unit at IVI Valencia in Spain, "Both these techniques could also help women to overcome future infertility and may counter the increasing need for egg donation in developed countries"*. This paper is part of a Series on fertility preservation. The other two papers in the Series cover the latest fertility preservation developments in men [paper 1] and women [paper 2] with cancer, and discuss how these methods could change the reproductive options for people with cancer.

INFORMATION:

NOTES TO EDITORS: *Quotes direct from authors and cannot be found in text of Article. [1] In 2013, the practice committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology removed its classification as an experimental procedure.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The Lancet: Second case of apparent HIV 'cure' in a baby followed by reappearance of virus

2014-10-03
Researchers today report the case of a baby, born HIV-positive, who appeared to have been cured of HIV after being given early antiretroviral treatment (ART) to combat the virus, but ultimately exhibited detectable HIV infection. The case report, published in The Lancet, is the second report of apparent viral remission followed by rebound in a baby given early ART treatment, after the case of the 'Mississippi baby' received widespread attention in 2013―14. A team of researchers, including Professor Mario Clerici at the University of Milan and the Don Gnocchi Foundation ...

Blood tests predict kidney disease patients' risk of developing heart failure

2014-10-03
Washington, DC (October 2, 2014) — Two blood markers are strongly linked with the development of heart failure in individuals with mild to severe kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Elevations in these markers may indicate subclinical cardiovascular changes that subsequently contribute to the development of heart failure. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of developing heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. Nisha Bansal, MD, MAS (University ...

Exercise linked with improved physical and mental health among dialysis patients

2014-10-03
Washington, DC (October 2, 2014) — Aerobic physical activity is strongly linked with better health-related quality of life, fewer depressive symptoms, and prolonged life in kidney failure patients on dialysis. The findings, which come from a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), suggest that dialysis facilities have an opportunity to improve patients' health by providing exercise programs. Physical activity can provide a number of benefits for diverse populations, but its effects in patients on hemodialysis ...

'Mini-stroke' may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder

2014-10-02
A "mini-stroke" may increase your risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Transient ischemic attack (TIA), like stroke, is caused by restricted blood supply to the brain. A TIA is temporary and often lasts less than five minutes, without causing permanent brain damage. "We found one in three TIA patients develop PTSD," said Kathrin Utz, Ph.D., a study author and post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Neurology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "PTSD, ...

Treatment to reduce blood clots otolaryngology in patients admitted for surgery examined

2014-10-02
Bottom Line: The effectiveness of a treatment to reduce blood clots among otolaryngology patients admitted for surgery appears to differ based on patient risk and the procedure. Author: Vinita Bahl, D.M.D., M.P.P., of the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and colleagues. Background: Blood clots (venous thromboembolism [VTE], which includes deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) are common complications in surgical patients. Treatment (primary thromboprophylaxis with anticoagulant medication [chemoprophylaxis]) can help reduce the incidence ...

Osteoporosis treatment may also benefit breast cancer patients

2014-10-02
This news release is available in French. Montreal October 2, 2014 – Treatment approaches to reduce the risk of bone complications (metastasis) associated with breast cancer may be one step closer to becoming a reality. According to a study led by a team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), findings show that medication used to treat bone deterioration in post-menopausal women may also slow skeletal metastasis caused from breast cancer. This study, published in this month's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute ...

University of Maryland School of Medicine identifies new heart disease pathway

2014-10-02
National Institutes of Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Canadian Institutes of Health Research New research by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and the Ottawa Heart Institute has uncovered a new pathway by which the brain uses an unusual steroid to control blood pressure. The study, which also suggests new approaches for treating high blood pressure and heart failure, appears today in the journal Public Library of Science (PLOS) One. "This research gives us an entirely new way of understanding how the brain and the ...

Researchers discover gene that can predict aggressive prostate cancer at diagnosis

Researchers discover gene that can predict aggressive prostate cancer at diagnosis
2014-10-02
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have identified a biomarker living next door to the KLK3 gene that can predict which GS7 prostate cancer patients will have a more aggressive form of cancer. The results reported in the journal of Clinical Cancer Research, a publication of the American Association of Cancer Research, indicate the KLK3 gene – a gene on chromosome 19 responsible for encoding the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) – is not only associated with prostate cancer aggression, but a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on it is more ...

New map uncovers thousands of unseen seamounts on ocean floor

New map uncovers thousands of unseen seamounts on ocean floor
2014-10-02
Scientists have created a new map of the world's seafloor, offering a more vivid picture of the structures that make up the deepest, least-explored parts of the ocean. The feat was accomplished by accessing two untapped streams of satellite data. Thousands of previously uncharted mountains rising from the seafloor, called seamounts, have emerged through the map, along with new clues about the formation of the continents. Combined with existing data and improved remote sensing instruments, the map, described today in the journal Science, gives scientists new tools ...

In-depth analysis of bat influenza viruses concludes they pose low risk to humans

2014-10-02
Zoonosis—transmission of infections from other vertebrates to humans—causes regular and sometimes serious disease outbreaks. Bats are a well-known vertebrate reservoir of viruses like rabies and Ebola. Recent discovery of sequences in bats that are resemble influenza virus genes raised the question of whether bat flu viruses exist and could pose a threat to humans. A study published on October 2nd in PLOS Pathogens addresses this question based on detailed molecular and virological characterization. Because no infectious virus particles were isolated from the bat samples ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Understanding survival disparities in cancer care: A population-based study on mobility patterns

Common sleep aid may leave behind a dirty brain

Plant cells gain immune capabilities when it’s time to fight disease

Study sheds light on depression in community-dwelling older adults

Discovery of new class of particles could take quantum mechanics one step further

Cost-effectiveness of a polypill for cardiovascular disease prevention in an underserved population

Development and validation of a tool to predict onset of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer dementia

New AI predicts inner workings of cells

Scientists uncover key step in how diazotrophs “fix” nitrogen

The hidden mechanics of earthquake ignition

Scientists leverage artificial intelligence to fast-track methane mitigation strategies in animal agriculture

Researchers unravel a novel mechanism regulating gene expression in the brain that could guide solutions to circadian and other disorders

Discovery of 'Punk' and 'Emo' fossils challenges our understanding of ancient molluscs

Exposure to aircraft noise linked to worse heart function

Deans of the University of Nottingham visited Korea University's College of Medicine

New study assesses wildfire risk from standing dead trees in Yellowstone National Park

A new approach for improving hot corrosion resistance and anti-oxidation performance in silicide coating on niobium alloys

UC San Diego to lead data hub of CDC-funded pandemic preparedness network

Biomimetic teakwood structured environmental barrier coating

Low-cost system will improve communications among industrial machines

Elderberry juice shows benefits for weight management, metabolic health

A new era in genetic engineering

Study identifies coastal black pine trees resistant to tsunamis and strong winds

From gender dysphoria to special skills: decoding the link

Study advances possible blood test for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease

New international research collaboration to develop and test an improved dietary supplement for pregnant women

Presenting a path forward for future genetically-modified pig heart transplants: lessons learned from second patient

When the past meets the future: Innovative drone mapping unlocks secrets of Bronze Age ‘mega fortress’ in the Caucasus

AI could improve the success of IVF treatment

Moving in sync, slowly, in glassy liquids

[Press-News.org] The Lancet: Ovarian tissue and egg freezing should be made widely available to prevent
age-related infertility, say leading fertility experts